Juniper Junos CLI essentials cheat sheet
Get oriented in Junos operational mode and inspect the chassis.
Junos OS operational mode, prompt ending in >. Output differs by platform.
Updated · Juniper · 7 min read
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
show version | Identify software and model |
show interfaces terse | Inspect interface summary |
show chassis hardware | Inspect hardware inventory |
show chassis alarms | Read active chassis alarms |
Walkthrough
Use an authorized read-only operational login. These show commands do not require entering configuration mode.
Step 1: Identify software and model
show version
Record the Junos release and hardware model. Consult the command reference for that release before applying examples from another Juniper platform.
Step 2: Inspect interface summary
show interfaces terse
Compare Admin and Link separately, then inspect protocol addresses on logical interfaces. Physical link up does not prove Layer 3 adjacency.
Step 3: Inspect hardware inventory
show chassis hardware
Match installed modules and transceivers with the cabling plan. Empty or absent slots can be intentional; compare against expected inventory.
Step 4: Read active chassis alarms
show chassis alarms
Capture alarm severity, description and timestamp. Use model-specific guidance to distinguish environmental faults from expected conditions.